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THE MIRROR Midnight Breakfast to Replace DJ with Carolers @FairfieldMirror

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Week of November 29, 2017

Vol. 43 Iss. 11

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Ariana Puzzo/The Mirror Students danced on tables and chairs at the 2015 Midnight Breakfast, which featured classic Christmas music, pancakes, eggs and sausages, and was held in the Barone Dining Hall.

By Connor O’Rourke Assistant News Editor For Midnight Breakfast this year, major changes are taking place in contrast to last year, especially the fact that instead of having a DJ like in previous years, the music will be provided by Christmas carolers.

Taking place on Dec. 11 in the Barone Campus Center’s Oak and Dogwood rooms, as opposed to previous years where it has taken place in the Barone Dining Commons, the 16th Annual Midnight Breakfast will have three separate seating times: 7 p.m, 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.

The seating times are earlier than previous years and notably, all seating ends an hour before midnight.

In 2015, there were two seatings at 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. However, last year, an additional time was added, resulting in 8 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. seatings.

In regards to the change from a DJ to Christmas carolers, the Assistant Director for Student Engagement Colleen Wilson noted that, “While the DJ was well-received last

127 students voted in this survey

year, one of the main comments we received from students was the fact that there was not enough holiday music being played. To help rectify this, we have hired a company of traveling carolers to provide live music entertainment.”

One student who is opposed to the change in the venue’s music, Kelley McSweeney ‘20, felt that, “I’m honestly kind of sad about it. I look forward to midnight breakfast and it made me not want to go. It is hard to dance and sing with your friends to music from carolers no matter how good they are.”

Another student, Olivia Mastroluca ‘20, expressed that it’s “a horrible change.”

Sophomore Luke D’Agostino echoed a similar view saying, “It’s lame. People want to bump to the song, ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You,’ compared to a pitchy ‘Silent Night.’

It’s safe to say, I will not be attending.”

The three separate seating times for the event, each lasting for an hour and a half, are aimed at reducing and maintaining the rooms’ respective capacities, since the spaces are smaller than the Barone Dining Hall.

When asked about what prompted the change in venue, the Assistant Vice President of Administration and Student Affairs James Fitzpatrick ‘70 said that, “18 months ago when we started with the plans for renovating the Barone Campus Center Main Dining Room, we knew we were probably going to have a few challenges in that we were taking a facility that was primarily a dining hall, but also functioned While the DJ was well recieved last as a banquet hall and a multipuryear, one of the main comments we pose room, especially during the and we were turning it recieved from students was the fact summer, into a student dining hall.” that there was not enough holiday When Fitzpatrick spoke music being played. To help rectify about why the new Tully Dining was unsuitable to host this, we have hired a company of Commons Midnight Breakfast, he noted traveling carolers to provide live mu- that, “when we looked at that with the architects, we said ‘what probsic entertainment. lems will that cause?’ Two things -Colleen Wilson came up right away, such as the Assistant Director of inability to do wedding receptions Student Engagement for alumni during the summer and the inability to do Midnight Breakfast because of the layout.”

Wilson, in speaking about the layout of the Tully, alluded to the notion that the new space was not conducive for hosting Midnight Breakfast.

She felt as though hosting the event would be much easier, logistically speaking, in the Oak and Dogwood rooms because the configuration of these respective rooms is more properly suited to managing three dinner shifts.

With the seating times being before midnight, there could be the argument that it should not be called “Midnight Breakfast” in the first place.

In response to this question, Wilson alluded to the notion that, “When we began Read Oak on Page 

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THE MIRROR | Week of November 29, 2017

News

Oak and Dogwood Rooms to Host Midnight Breakfast Continued From Page 

Ariana Puzzo/The Mirror

planning this year’s event, we knew that we wanted to make the event as convenient as we could for faculty and staff to be able to attend. By holding the event from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., many of our staff and faculty members are able to attend following their work day.”

Another one of the notable changes to the event this year would be the fact that tickets are $1.

The proceeds from the event will all go to the charity, “Family ReEntry”, which, according to their mission statement on their website, aims “to lead in the development and delivery of effective solutions that empower individuals and strengthen families impacted by the criminal justice system.”

All of the ticket proceeds will be going to this charity and according to Wilson, Campus Ministry will be making use of the proceeds to give holiday presents, such as coats, toys and various other gifts, to children that have parents who are currently in prison.

In terms of the food being offered this year, Wilson pointed out that, “Unlike recent years, this year University staff and faculty will be the ones serving our students the traditional breakfast buffet – think eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries and French toast sticks.”

Fitzpatrick added that the event is beneficial to the University community because, at its inception in 2001, the intention was “to try and give students a study break.”

Fitzpatrick noted that a graduate assistant, Erin Morrell, worked with Dean of Students Karen Donoghue ‘03, while she was the FUSA president, to create the event in the hopes of providing students with a study break prior to the start of finals.

“While I’m still planning on attending simply for the sake of the tradition, I’m very disappointed in Fairfield’s decision to change it,” said Davis Doherty ‘19.

At Midnight Breakfast two years ago, it took place in the Barone Campus Center’s dining hall.

Toy Drive Gives Sick Children Hope

By Jacob Buttiker Contributing Writer The holiday season is a time to both give and receive, to assist those who may be less fortunate, and improve the lives of others. In accordance with the true holiday spirit, Project Yes You Can, a club here at Fairfield University, will be hosting a Toy Drive through Dec. 3.

Project Yes You Can is a club dedicated to aiding those whose lives contain many obstacles and roadblocks. Junior Margaret Moore, the club’s founder, describes the goal of the club as, “reaching out to the community to work with cancer patients, disabled people, and the general community, focusing on bringing positivity into these people’s lives and teaching them how to overcome obstacles to achieve their life goals.”

Moore has large plans for the future of Project Yes You Can, stating, “We have brought in a national motivational speaker to talk to Fairfield students in the past …we plan to host similar events and service projects in the future.”

According to Moore, the Toy Drive is partnered with Yale-New Haven children’s hospital. Those looking to make a difference can drop off new toys that can be easily sterilized for sanitary purposes in the Egan Chapel of St. Ignatius Loyola lobby. In addition, collection bins will be set up in each of the residence halls. Plush toys, including stuffed animals, will not be accepted as they can not be easily sterilized.

Some students who have donated to the drive shared with The Mirror why events like these are significant. “It is important for others to give, especially during the holiday season, to those who are not fortunate enough to spend Christmas at home,” said Sofia Sena ‘19, the programming specialist for the Residential Housing Association, an organization partnered with Project Yes You Can. In addition to the Toy Drive, Project Yes You Can will also be partnering with the Fairfield University Student Association for the Santa’s Workshop on Dec. 5. The goal of this event is to bring students together in the Lower Level of the Barone Campus Center to make fleece blankets for the kids at Shriners Hospital for Children in Springfield, Mass.

“The Toy Drive provides students an opportunity to give back to their community, an idea that is valued by the Jesuit University we attend,” said Ryan Harrington ’19, a member of the FUSA senate.

Further information on the Toy Drive and other upcoming events can be found on Project Yes You Can’s page across multiple social media platforms such as OrgSync, Facebook and Instagram.

Juliana Sansonetti/The Mirror Democratic state representatives Cristin McCarthy Vahey and Steve Stafstrom were invited by College Democrats to speak in the LLBCC.

State Representatives Speak to Students

By Juliana Sansonetti News Editor

Fairfield students had the opportunity to speak with their local state representatives Steve Stafstrom ‘05 and Cristin McCarthy Vahey on Tuesday, Nov. 28. College Democrats invited the representatives to speak to students in the Lower Level of the Barone Campus Center at 7:30 p.m.

Stafstrom, who was Vice President of College Democrats when he went to Fairfield, is a Democratic member of the Connecticut House of Representatives, representing the 129th District.

According to President of College Democrats Alec Lurie ‘19, “We didn’t frame this as a partisan event. It was more just an event to get people acquainted with their local politicians who happen to be Democrats and basically start a conversation with the constituency about what the local issues are what students’ issues are and how we can work together to come to find solutions for these issues.”

The representatives began by speaking about themselves and then about current issues. After, they opened the floor to questions from the 15 or so students who were present at the event.

McCarthy Vahey, who is the state representative for Fairfield University, explained that a lot of people are currently down on Connecticut, but it is important to be positive in spite of this.

The representatives also touched upon the importance of calling congress people and representatives when issues are important to you.

Stafstrom commented on why he wanted to speak with the student body.

“When I graduated from here in 2005, there were a lot of folks in public office in politics at the time who made sure to share their story with us on how they got involved and how people can get more active and engaged in their community so I thought it was important to come and share that story and hear what’s on folks’ minds here,” Stafstrom said.

McCarthy Vahey shared her reasons for wanting to come.

“Being Fairfield U’s representative it’s always a good chance to interact with the students,” she said. “I really love hearing what is on your minds … connecting is really important.”

Both representatives hoped that students got the fact that their voices matter out of the event.

“I think the biggest message for me is to feel empowered, to make a difference and to get involved and to know that one voice can make an impact and one person can lead a movement,” said McCarthy Vahey. “It always takes leadership but whether you’re leading a movement or you’re part of the movement, it’s one vote here in Fairfield … your voice and your vote makes a difference, it has an impact.”

Stafstrom expressed a similar viewpoint.

“I hope they got out of this that their voice does matter, that it doesn’t take that many people being engaged, being involved to affect policy change especially on the local and state level and that their voice does matter in the community and that they should speak up on issues of concern,” Stafstrom commented.

“I hope that they feel that they’re important members of this community and that they should reach out on issues of concern,” he continued. Lurie emphasized the importance of events like this one.

“I think a lot of times, students don’t necessarily realize that they have representatives, that they are actually being represented in their local and state legislatures so I think it’s really important that we give these people a face, that we show the students that they are in fact being represented and that they need to make their voices heard if they actually want stuff to happen,” he said.

Senior Daniel Gatazka, who attended the event, commented, “Local politics are really the foundation of our American political system, so hearing how they deal with things on a local level was really important to me.”

“I thought it was really informative,” Gatazka continued. “They seemed really invested in their districts and the policies of the districts and I like to see that, and they also seemed really knowledgeable about how the machinations of politics work and that was really exciting too.”

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THE MIRROR | Week of November 29, 2017

News

The Mirror Reflects on this Week in Social Media Compiled by Juliana Sansonetti Information contributed by the Department of Public Safety.

Thursday, 11/16 11:57 a.m.

At the Barlow Gate, there was an image of a fist spray painted on the stone pillar of the gate. DPS is reviewing the security cameras in the area. There are no suspects at this time.

Saturday, 11/18 1:10 a.m.

At the Barlow Gate, three university students and one non-student were stopped by DPS for moving the barricades. They were advised not to, identified by Public Safety and referred to student conduct. The barricade was put back in place.

Sunday, 11/19 7:00 a.m.

In Loyola Hall, a student was found sleeping on the first floor hallway. The student was evaluated and it was discovered that he drank an unknown amount of alcohol. He was evaluated and deemed okay to return to his room. He was referred to student conduct.

12:41 a.m.

Public Safety observed a female student on Lynch Road who was possibly intoxicated. Officers stopped and evaluated the individual. She was deemed to be okay and sent home. She consumed an unknown amount of alcohol and was referred to student conduct.

Wednesday, 11/22 11:54 a.m.

A student in Regis Hall had a watch stolen from their room.

The camera footage is being reviewed. There are no suspects at this time. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Public Safety. The matter is also being investigated by the Fairfield Police.

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Carrie Robinson Presented Lucy Katz Award

By Juliana Sansonetti News Editor Every year, someone is awarded for their dedication to women’s issues on campus, which is seen as an important topic in this changing political climate. This year, the decision was unanimous: the award was given to Associate Director of Student and Multicultural Affairs Carrie Robinson, according to Director of the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies program Anna Lawrence, PhD. According to Lawrence, “When the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program searches out an awardee for the Lucy Katz award, we are looking for those who seek out social justice and has a central concern for the issues of gender, sexuality and women’s lives on campus.” “[Robinson] has touched the lives of so many students on campus, and she has worked tirelessly alongside our faculty,” Lawrence continued. “She has undertaken many initiatives, is co-chair of the MLK committee this year, and is director of the Lucy Katz Dialogue and Resolution Program. She was promoted from assistant to associate director of the student diversity and multicultural affairs office this summer.”

President of Alliance Marcia Momperousse ‘18 commented on Robinson, who is the advisor of Alliance.

“Carrie Robinson is a wonderful woman and a great advisor,” said Momperousse. “She puts her all into any and every project she set out to do and does her best to create a safe, fun

and welcoming environment. She’s brought more attention to the LGBTQ+ community and encourages others to embrace their diversity. She’s a wonderful human being and is very deserving of all her achievements.”

The Lucy Katz “Person of the Year” Award is named in honor of the former Fairfield professor who was co-founder of the Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies Program and chair of the Department of Management in the Dolan School of Business from 1983 to 2008.

“I’m not really somebody who does a lot of work for recognition; I just do it because it’s important to the students and important to Fairfield,” said Robinson. “So it was a shock at first but then it was really humbling and I’m really grateful and really thankful that people were taking the time to appreciate my work.”

According to Lawrence, “Lucy cared deeply about ‘making change possible.’ As she once reflected on life’s purpose, ‘you do something good and meaningful.’”

The award is decided by a Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies coordinating committee made up of 12 faculty members from a variety of departments, including Associate Professor of Biology Olivia Harriott, Assistant Professor for Marriage & Family Therapy Erica Hartwell and Associate Professor of English Emily Orlando.

According to Lawrence, the award has previously been preRead Award on Page 

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THE MIRROR | Week of November 29, 2017

News

Wikimedia/Creative Commons

News Happening Around the World

What’s Going on in the United States

By Connor O’Rourke Assistant News Editor

By Connor O’Rourke Assistant News Editor

Philippine Sea: According to CNN, on Thursday, Nov. 23, the US Navy located and identified three missing sailors who had crashed their plane into the Philippine Sea. They have been identified as Lt. Steven Combs, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Airman Matthew Chialastri and Aviation Ordnanceman Airman Apprentice Bryan Grosso. They had crashed a C2-A Greyhound transport plane to the southeast of the Japanese island of Okinawa on the day prior.

Black Sea: According to Fox News, a Russian fighter jet maneuvered itself dangerously close to a Navy reconnaissance plane flying in the Black Sea whilst patrolling international airspace on Saturday, Nov. 25. The Russian jet passed within 50 feet of the Navy P-8, which caused “violent turbulence,” as per an undisclosed official. The midair event lasted around 24 minutes.

Washington, D.C: The New York Times reported that President Trump, at an event honoring Navajo veterans, referred to Senator Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass, as “Pocahontas.”

This turned into a racially charged controversy aimed at deriding Sen. Warren through the comment, as well as the fact that the remarks were made in front of a portrait of President Andrew Jackson, known for his displacement of countless Native Americans.

Northern Ireland: According to NPR, Brexit has created a dilemma for the border between the Republic of Ireland and the British-controlled Northern Ireland, leaving the only land border between the European Union and the United Kingdom. The potential for a “hard border,” which would entail a return to pre-Good Friday agreement customs and immigration checks, could destabilize the north, which had faced sectarian violence for thirty years between Catholics and Protestants during “The Troubles.” As per the U.K. International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, there cannot be an agreement on the Irish border situation until both countries come to a trade agreement.

London, England: USA Today reported that Prince Harry got engaged to his girlfriend, American actress Meghan Markle, known for her role as Rachel Zane in the show “Suits,” on Monday, Nov. 27. As per the prince, the wedding will happen sometime in the Spring.

North Korea: ABC News reported that, on Tuesday, Nov. 28, North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile almost 3,000 miles into space, thus, making it the highest missile test the country has had to this date, as confirmed by two U.S. officials.

New York, N.Y.: As per the BBC, the man accused of the New York City truck attack in late October, Sayfullo Saipov, pleaded not guilty to killing eight people and injuring a further 12. This man, of Uzbek origin, entered his plea at a federal court on Tuesday, Nov 28.

Oxford, England: According to CNN, the de facto leader of Myanmar (Burma), Aung San Suu Kyi has had an award revoked from her that was initially given to her by the Oxford City Council. The award she had received in 1997 was the “Freedom of the City of Oxford”, which is the highest honor the city can offer an individual.

Cupertino, Calif: The BBC reported that Apple is currently in the process of fixing a bug within its Mac operating system. This flaw makes it easily accessible for hackers to gain entrance to a machine without a password and also have the access to administrator rights on computers.

Mubi, Nigeria: CNN reported that around 50 people were killed on Tuesday, Nov. 21, in a suicide bombing at a mosque in northern Nigeria near Cameroon. This attack happened in the town of Mubi, just as Muslims were gathering for the “fajr” prayer at dawn, according to a police spokesman.

Award Showcases Dedication to Women’s Issues Continued from page 

Photo Contributed by Anna Lawrence Carrie Robinson (left) is pictured with Anna Lawrence, who presented her the Lucy Katz Award.

sented to professors, student groups, administrators and staff members from “all corners of campus.”

Some of the previous winners include Professor of English Betsy Bowen, Project Peg, “a coed student organization for giving voice and visibility to feminism and for exploring issues of gender, sex, and sexuality through creative theatrical performance” as per fairfield. edu and the Founders of the Gender, Sex and Sexuality Commons.

Robinson commented, “The people that have won this award in the past are great pioneers on campus and it’s really humbling to be in that group now. It’s an important award to recognize women on this campus who are doing activist and social justice work.”

Lawrence, who nominated Robinson for the award, said, “her name received immediate, unanimous assent from the committee.

This was an easy decision.”

Lawrence touched upon why Robinson was such a good choice for the recipient of this award.

“Anyone who meets Carrie is immediately impressed by her dedication,” Lawrence commented. “She is 100 percent devoted to students, and has a seemingly effortless way of always keeping them at the center of any project. Carrie works to develop students’ leadership and activism, by making their concerns the center of any ini-

tiative.”

Lawrence first met Robinson when Robinson led the initiative that brought two buses of Fairfield students to the Women’s March on Washington in January 2017.

Robinson headed this, as well as many other initiatives that embrace students of color and LGBTQ+ students, according to Lawrence. The award-winner has worked toward creating gender inclusive restrooms on campus, gender inclusive housing and equal rights initiatives.

Senior Molly “Anton” Martin, who works with Robinson in Fairfield’s Alliance, spoke about Robinson.

“Considering that she’s the advisor for Alliance and she’s a big part of the Office of Student Diversity and the fact that I always see her running around making sure everyone is equal shows that she deserves to win this award,” said Martin.

Lawrence added that the reception for Robinson that took place on Nov. 15 in Alumni House was a “beautiful event,” with a mixture of associates from her office, faculty who worked with her and students speaking and honoring her at the event.

“Everyone was moved to tears in their speeches, just thinking of how selfless and inspirational she is,” Lawrence said. “I can’t tell you how special it is to be in a room where everyone is so moved by the spirit of one person.”

THE MIRROR | Week of November 29, 2017

Opinion

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Editor Lexi Thimble » opinion@fairfieldmirror.com

Getting Opinionated with The Mirror

Keystone XL Pipeline is a Step Back for American Energy

By Lexi Thimble Opinion Editor When President Donald Trump approved the building of the Keystone XL Pipeline back in March of this year, it was reported by CNN that the project had been pushed forward despite the legitimate fears and concerns of environmentalists over the dangers such a project could present. These fears were further emphasized by the notoriety around the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), known by its hashtag #StandwithStandingRock. Named after the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, whose land would be infringed upon with the creation of this pipeline, Standing Rock got a lot of publicity last year, as it became popularized by celebrities and had 10,000 protesters present at it’s peak, as reported by CNN. In this spirit of Thanksgiving and remembering where our ancestors got their start, it’s ironic to therefore look at the current injustices suffered by the native people still living in the United States and the environment we all inhabit due to the prevalence of these pipelines.

The resurgence of attention on this issue has come from the recent news of 210,000 gallons of oil being spilled in South Dakota, and the threat this poses to the “Ogallala Aquifer, one of the world's largest underground deposits of freshwater,” considered a top concern by the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe as reported in the same CNN article documenting the spill. I personally cannot help but share these same concerns. Though so far the spill has been contained and has not shown evidence of mass damage, this should not have happened in the first place. The risks we continue to take with pipelines like these that always seem to leak at one point or another are the result of fruitless efforts on our part. Even if the damage ends up being minor, there is still damage inflicted, and with the state of our environment the way it is, the focus should not be on further damage, but on restorative alternatives.

I’ve been a personal advocate for renewable and “green” for as long as I can remember, and the implementations of major pipelines like the Keystone XL are, to me, a step backwards for American energy.

Measures like these increase the amount of greenhouse emissions being produced and being added to the atmo-

Editorial Board "Can You Paint with All the Colors of the Whirlwind?"

Allison White Editor-in-Chief Andrew DaRosa Executive Editor Catherine Veschi Managing Editor

In 1963, former President John F. Kennedy introduced the Civil Rights Act, which outlawed segregation of race, color and other “discriminating” factors in the United States. The act changed the political and social layout of the American sociosphere while also setting a precedent for how a president should act in the face of societal malcontent within the country. Fifty-four years and 10 presidents later, we have reached a predicament in American culture where our president has become the antithesis of all the revolutionary fundamentals laid out by Kennedy and his contemporaries.

On Monday, Nov. 27, during a ceremony in honor of the Navajo Code Talkers of World War II at the White House, President Donald Trump took a moment to bash Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, who has had a questionable past with her lineage. In a statement to the Navajo veterans in attendance, Trump commented, “You were here long before any of us were here, although, we have a representative in Congress

sphere, and are only contributing to the growing climate change problem. Rather than living in the past by continuing these actions that have been shown to be harmful, shouldn’t the self-proclaimed “best nation on earth” be leading the charge in green energy? The world is turning that way, and instead of leading the charge, America has opted out, making us look like the fool who still denies climate change while other nations leave us in the dust.

Granted, this is not all the fault of Trump, and is not even something we could have easily prevented unless we had had the foresight for such energy-saving methods years ago. There are cleaner alternatives for the oil used to fuel our modes of transportation and the energy in our homes, alternatives that could be commonplace by now had they been implemented years ago. Electric hybrid cars that use electricity rather than petroleum gas are still expensive to purchase and maintain, but could have been embraced if they were developed and given the resources to do so earlier. There could be a more comprehensive effort to switch to clean energy, to embrace the use of solar panels, and to make a priority of recycling and finding alternatives like ethanol or propane as materials for fuel. Because of our hesitance and disbelief in our environment’s destitution, however, in the future, we will be forced to look to other countries for examples of renewable energy rather than them looking to us.

Not only is the building and failure of the Keystone Pipeline disrespectful to the environment, but it stands as a similar symbol of contempt against the native people and the reservations they live on. I expect more from my country in terms of recognizing mistakes that they have already made and learning from them, and when it comes to respecting Native Americans, it seems as though we have never really learned that lesson. The Standing Rock Tribe that opposed the initial Dakota Access Pipeline shared the same concerns over the Keystone Pipeline, worried that it’s path would not only cross a portion of their sacred territory that the government had taken from them through decades worth of enforced treaties, but would pose a threat to the previously mentioned Ogallala Aquifer. It is just as Drucilla Burns, an elder from the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe in California, was reported by the Washington Post as saying: “Water is what we’re made of … We’re supposed to be the protectors of the land and water. My God, they took everything away from us. And now they want to take our water, too?”

As I’ve said before, there needs to be a call for Americans to stand up and be forces for positive change in our environment and in our continued relationship with native populations. Economic greed is a powerfully blinding force that impacts lawmakers and corporations alike, causing decisions to be made that are not necessarily sensitive to individuals, but act in the best concerns of what will make the most profit. It is high time we as a nation realize the life or death implications of our continued environmental abuse, and take serious measures to put a stop to it.

who has been here a long time...longer than you — they call her Pocahontas.” Trump has had a longstanding history with poking fun at Warren by referring to her as “Pocahontas,” which has caused critics to call him out as racist toward not only Warren but also Native American individuals.

And while this history of Trump labeling Warren as “Pocahontas” certainly crosses the line of how a president ought to address his own senators, the setting of this particular incident makes it all the more cringeworthy. Referring to one of the most well-known Native American figures in history while surrounded by numerous Native American individuals is definitely risky, especially when you’re comparing this figure to a senator that you have a historically poor relationship with. Unless you’ve neglected to pay attention to the news since Trump was elected, it’s crystal clear that Trump’s relationship with Warren has been anything but positive so far. Thus, by making this connection between Warren and Pocahontas in front of Native

American individuals, Trump is clearly shedding an unfavorable light on the Native American population, especially in their eyes. Expressing an unpleasant opinion of Warren, Pocahontas and Native Americans as a whole is one thing, but to do so in front of a room full of Native American individuals only amplifies the matter.

This particular incident highlights an increasingly prevalent issue in Trump’s presidency: his inability to sense his surroundings and refrain from insulting the audiences of his speeches and tweets. It’s human to slip up once or twice and accidentally insult someone in your presence if you’re not thinking straight. But if you’re the president of the U.S. and you’re consistently insulting different races, genders and sexualities, then it becomes less of a mistake and more of a malicious attack. In the remaining three years of his presidency, Trump ought to find better techniques for communicating with the various demographics within his country before he loses all the remaining support he has.

THE MIRROR | Week of November 29, 2017

Opinion

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Malia Obama Should Be Allowed To Be A College Student

By Lexi Thimble Opinion Editor This past week on Nov. 24, a Snapchat video began circulating of Malia Obama blowing smoke rings while hanging out with friends at Harvard University. This was preceded by a separate video from TMZ of her kissing a boy at the Harvard vs. Yale football game on Nov. 18. The media rushed to cover both these “stories” and critique the former first daughter, with news outlets like The Daily Mail making her behavior out to be more scandalous than it actually is for someone her age. This prompted celebrities and namely fellow first daughters Ivanka Trump and Chelsea Clinton to come out in her defense, countering the infringement on her personal life. Needless to say, such encroachment on Obama’s time as a young person by a media seeking to prey on her is despicable and she should have her privacy respected regardless of the popularity of her family.

In a rare moment for me, I was in total agreement with both Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump in their supportive tweets relating the news coverage of Obama’s behaviors. Clinton’s show of support stated that “Malia Obama’s private life, as a young woman, a college student, a private citizen, should not be your clickbait. Be better.”

Trump echoed the sentiment, saying, “Malia Obama should be allowed the same privacy as her school-aged peers. She is a young adult and private citizen, and should be OFF limits.” Historically, there is a standard set by the first family; they are meant to embody top American values, and to exemplify appropriate behavior fit for the leader of a country. However, I would argue that even if Malia Obama was still the first daughter with her father as the acting president, she

should still be allowed to go about her business as freely as she does now.

Being close in age with her, I cannot even imagine trying to live my life and do what I want to do with the level of media scrutiny that is always present in her daily life. She probably has a hard enough time going about her day with cameras documenting her every move and Secret Service guarding her every second of every day without added criticism of these same behaviors. She’s most likely used to it by now, but how do you go through college when every interaction you have, every kiss you have and every party or event you attend is recorded by a national news outlet? And not only is it recorded, but it’s analyzed and sometimes shamed by adults often more than twice your age, which is also displayed for a nation worth of people to see. How do you figure anything out about yourself with the whole country watching? How do you make mistakes and learn from them without adults that aren’t even your parents chastising you at every turn? As a fellow college student, I can say with complete confidence that Malia Obama has plenty to deal with on a day-today basis without the added media attention she gets whenever she smokes with her friends.

Even though the Obamas are still seen by many as a family that should be held to a higher standard in terms of how they publicly conduct themselves, there are much more pressing stories happening in the world today besides what the eldest first daughter does at college. We as a country should be focusing our attention on those pressing stories and let Malia Obama enjoy her years at Harvard like every other student currently attending college in the U.S.

Rural Minorities Will Not Be America's Downfall You cannot have it both ways. Either Donald Trump is a threat to constitutional governance and the norms it dictates, or the Constitution itself is an illegitimate and outmoded document. Some progressives desire to simultaneously hold these self-contradictory views, but intellectual honesty would dictate that they pick one or the other.

Joy Reid, one of the most progressive voices on MSNBC, tweeted Saturday that the “core threat to our democracy” is a “rural minority” that “will have disproportionate power over the urban majority” as demographic trends increase the gulf in population density. This, aside from being a putrid sentiment about rural America, is statistically true. In the tweet by Kyle

Griffin that Reid was responding to, he points to a Wall Street Journal piece that estimates that by 2040, 70 percent of Americans will be represented by 30 percent of the Senate. Demographic projections are uncannily accurate in the pantheon of social science forecasts, so it isn’t unreasonable to presume 2040 will closely resemble the modeling of demographers. I can actually appreciate the honesty here — it’s rare that opponents of the Electoral College will admit they also object to the very existence of the Senate.

I’ll skip the pedantic civics lesson that could take up a column in itself – the reason we have bicameral legislature, of course, is to balance the democratic will of the people (the House) and the republican function of the states (the Senate) – because Joy Reid is aware of all of this. Reid is obviously intelligent, and isn’t confused about the function of American political institutions. Rather, she finds them illegitimate – the Founders feared a tyrannical majority just as much as a monarchical dictatorship, but to Reid, the democratic impulse ought to rule regardless of the Founders’ wishes. And how often have you heard some derivation of this from leading progressives: The Constitu-

tion was written by a group of white, male, slave-owning plutocrats seeking to uphold their own interests and, therefore, it’s a moot document. This sentiment is hardly new – much of the big government aspirations of the Sanders wing of the Democratic Party all but require an abrogation of the Constitution’s hardened prescriptions about individual liberty and negative rights.

What confounds me is that many of the same Saul Alinsky-disciples who want to overhaul the very premises of our founding concurrently worry that President Trump is tossing us headlong into what Joy Reid herself called a “constitutional crisis” in a tweet about purported Trump-Russia ties in July. If the Constitution is a distorted, racist document that allows “rural minority” to be the single greatest “core threat to our democracy,” who cares about whether Trump is faithful to its mores? I haven’t seen progressives at large so concerned with the stipulations of the Bill of Rights in my admittedly short lifetime – and it’s heartening, if only motivated by partisanship – but these seem to be the same people who despise the same document they now support.

If they have to choose between rejecting the Constitution outright and becoming vehement defenders of the text, the optimist in me hopes they choose the latter. I’m not holding my breath.

The Mirror welcomes the opinions and contributions of its readers: Letters to the editor must be timely and submitted by email to info@fairfieldmirror.com or Box AA. All letters to the editor that are appropriate will be published either in print or online. The Mirror reserves the right to edit letters and articles for content, length and grammatical errors. Letters should be free of obscenities and personal attacks and should contain correct and factual information, not exceeding 500 words.

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arts, entertainment, features Editor Alicia Phaneuf alicia.phaneuf@student.fairfield.edu

The Rockettes: A Christmas Tradition

By Allison White Editor-in-Chief Once the turkey has been served and the leftovers are packed away in the fridge, it’s time to bring out the Christmas cheer. The perfect way to do this is by seeing the famous Rockettes in the best city in the world. For years, my family and I have been going to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in New York City. Not only have I seen it about 10 times, but I could probably perform the whole routine.

Yet, there’s nothing like Christmas time at Radio City Music Hall.

Our post-Thanksgiving showing on Friday, Nov. 24, started off with a welcome from Santa Claus and his reindeer, otherwise known as the Rockettes. These long-legged gals joined Santa in his “trek” through NYC. One of the best aspects of the show proved to be the graphics through

the use of 3D glasses for an experience on the big screen. It featured an animated Santa, along with his reindeer, traveling from the North Pole to Radio City. The graphics proved to be even more impressive as the walls of the hall showed a winter wonderland that made the audience feel as if we were actually there. It displayed elves building snowmen and reindeer flying through the air in the North Pole.

The best part about memorizing the whole show is that I knew exactly when my favorite parts would be coming up. One of my favorite parts is in the beginning when a young girl named Clara dances with bears in a ballet-style piece. This features some of those famous melodies from “The Nutcracker.” There’s something about bears dancing in Pointe shoes that really grabs your attention. Another favorite of mine is the Rockettes performing as toy soldiers.

Their in-sync dancing reaches an impressive milestone in this scene. They show off their skills even more as they fall

on top of one another in a slow motion domino effect that got the audience’s approval in a loud round of applause.

The ending of the show takes on a more dramatic and serious tone as the setting of The Nativity is shown and “The First Noel” is sung. We can see Mary and Joseph standing next to baby Jesus in the manger as people come to see them, presenting gifts. The scene seems so realistic due to the inclusion of actual sheep and camels.

The Christmas cheer was truly “spectacular” throughout the hour and 20-minute show. Whether you’re an avid city goer or you’re from another part of New England, the show is a must-see during the Christmas season.

There’s truly nothing like Christmas in New York City!

Taken from the Rockette's Instagram

THE MIRROR | Week of November 29, 2017

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South Africa Wins 66th Miss Universe Pageant

By Alicia Phaneuf Vine Editor

Beauty pageants have always meant more than just girls parading themselves around a stage with fancy dresses and unnatural spray tans. Beauty pageants allow confident women to show the world that women can be respected as both a symbol of elegance and wisdom.

On Sunday, Nov. 26, the 66th annual Miss Universe Pageant took place at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nev., where 92 countries competed for the ultimate crown. These women compete in categories that judge everything from beauty and poise to the competitors’ ability to think quickly and express the intellectual ability to make a difference in the world. Miss Universe has always served as an inspiration for young women to be both beautiful and educated, and this year’s winner is no exception.

This year’s Miss Universe Pageant was hosted by Steve Harvey, who announced the wrong winner during his last hosting of the Miss Universe Pageant in 2015, after which he made a point to call out Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, who presented the best motion picture to “La La Land” when it was supposed to go to “Moonlight” at the 2017 Oscars. Harvey added a light-hearted and entertaining element to the intense night.

One country that was present during the competition for its first time in 45 years was Iraq. Sarah Idan was the Miss Iraq representative.

Idan comes from Baghdad, where she was born during the same year as the Gulf War. Since an early age, Idan has been surrounded by the sound of bombs, and she witnessed the entire city of Baghdad being destroyed. “I know many people are against the pageant. They think it’s against Islam and they don’t think it’s an appropriate time for Iraq to have a Beauty Pageant right now,” said Idan. “I am a Muslim, but I want to represent Christians, Jews, Kurdish and everyone in Iraq.”

The evening’s competition began by announcing the top 16 finalists who conquered the daunting preliminary competition. The women were divided into three groups, the Americas, Europe and Africa & Asia Pacific. Four women from each group were chosen to continue on in the competition, and the last four remaining spots were referred to as “wild cards” where the contestants moving on could come from any of the three groups. Unfortunately, Idan did not make the top 16. Countries that were fortunate enough to compete in the live broadcast of the Miss Universe Pageant include: Thailand, Sri lanka, Ghana, South Africa, Spain, Ireland, Croatia, Great Britain, Columbia, USA, Brazil, Canada, Jamaica, Venezuela, Philippines and China. The evening consisted of three rounds: swimwear, evening gown and a Q&A. Given the difficult caliber of competition, Kara McCullough rep-

resented the USA well. Not only is she Miss USA, but she also works kled scattered throughout. On the left side, her gown had a high slit, as a physical scientist at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. She showing off her beautifully long legs. advocates for all women to educate themselves with STEM ideals, as “It’s about being comfortable in who you are. I’ve worked hard to science is all around us. “I encourage young girls to find a passion for be fit and to be healthy, and that is what I love to do,” said Nel Peters. science and a passion for discovery,” said McCullough. McCullough “That is what I love to be, and I’ve always been a sporty person, and placed in the top 10 at the Miss Universe Pageant. A fun fact is that I’m happy with who I am. That’s what makes me go out there and just McCullough chose to compete with natural hair, due to her support own the stage.” for the natural hair movement. Her long curly black hair looked beautiful and bold coming down the runway.

Another contestant that caught my eye was Davina Bennett who represented Miss Jamaica, and came in third place for Miss Universe. During the swimwear round she wore a teal bathing suit that complimented her dark skin tone perfectly and accentuated her ensemble with a yellow wrap around her bathing suit bottom. Her beauty was further shown during the evening gown competition. She wore a beautiful sheer-yellow, mermaid gown with a flowing cape that started at the tip of her shoulders and flowed downward like wings. Her most outstanding quality is her eloquent communication and her dedication to building a sign language app, aiming to break the barriers of communication between deaf and hearing people.

Photo taken from missuniverse Instagram Despite the uniqueness, beauty and unwavering Demi-Leigh Nel Peters is crowned Miss Universe 2017. drive in these 92 women, only one was able to take the crown. Demi-Leigh Nel Peters, representing Miss South Africa, won the title of Miss Universe 2017. One month after being crowned Miss South Africa, Nel Peters was hijacked and held at gunpoint. She explained that she put her hands up, got out of the car, gave her attackers her keys and phone, and tried to run away. One guy pulled her back and pushed her into the car and said, “get in, you’re going with us.” Nel Peters was able to grab ahold of his gun and punched it into his throat. She then managed to escape. Since her attack, Nel Peters has started ‘Unbreakable,’ an organization dedicated to giving women the skills and knowledge to empower themselves in a life-threatening situation. “This was a traumatic experience and it was really, really bad,” said Nel Peters. “I will not allow myself to be a victim.”

For the bathing suit competition, Nel Peters took the stage in a sun-yellow, spaghetti-strap swimsuit with a cross embellishment in the middle and added a blue wrap around her suit bottom, which she confidently shed as she strutted down the runway. After making Photo taken from officialmissuniversejamaica Instagram it through the bathing suit competition, she got ready for the evening Davina Bennett takes the stage for the evening gown gown portion of the night. Nel Peters chose to do an up-do bun and portion of the Miss Universe Pageant. wore a tight-fitting, skin-toned dress with sheer arms that had spar-

'Not Throwing Away My Shot' To See Hamilton

By Cara Lee Assistant Vine Editor

If someone told me less than a month ago that I was going to see “Hamilton,” I would have laughed in their face. I’ve been keeping track of the ticket prices for months, and let’s just say that one ticket could buy me well over a year’s worth of textbooks — so that just wasn’t happening. Then, just as I resolved to see Hamilton in about five years, an announcement was released for the Actors Fund production of “Hamilton.”

At Actors Fund performances, no one gets paid. All the actors, techs, stage crews and even the ushers donate their time so that all proceeds can go toward helping those members of the acting community in need of care. These shows are announced over email to past Actors Fund donors long after tickets for other showings have gone on sale, then it’s a dog-eat-dog race to see who gets the new tickets.

In the mad rush after this email was sent out, the ticket given to yours truly was purchased.

When playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda was writing “Hamilton,” he created a work of pure genius in that, throughout the entirety of the play, not one word was wasted. Each line and lyric throughout the performance develops at least one character and furthers the numerous intertwining plots that lead to the play’s dramatic conclusion. One of the most well-known demonstrations of this is in the song “My Shot,” performed by Hamilton (Javier Munoz) during the play’s first act, with the lyrics: “I’m not throwing away my shot/ I’m not throwing away my shot/ just like my country I’m young scrappy and hungry/ I’m not throwing away my shot.” Not only do these lines convey Hamilton’s never ending ambition, a characteristic that will cause Hamilton to “Rise Up” before suffering a dramatic fall during the second act, but they also convey how the British colonies in America viewed themselves to audience members who may not know much about the American Revolutionary time period.

Miranda also ensured that each and every character was fully developed. The majority of the first act compels audience members and characters alike toward Hamilton and away from the opposing character Aaron Burr (Daniel Breaker) who, during the opening song, announces that he is the one who will kill Hamilton. However, Miranda does not allow these compulsions to remain. Toward the

conclusion of act one, Miranda grants Burr one of “Hamilton’s” most captivating and complex songs, “Wait for It,” with the relatable and highly foreshadowing lyrics, “Life doesn’t discriminate between the sinners and the saints/ it takes and it takes and it takes/ we rise/ we fall/ and if there’s a reason I’m still alive/ when so many have died/ then I’m willing to/ then I’m willing to/ Wait for it.” Then, almost as soon as the second act begins, all of Hamilton’s most compelling and powerful traits result in a dramatic, highly preventable, fall from grace.

Suddenly, lines are blurred and Hamilton is no longer an almost godlike character who can do no wrong and Burr not only comes across as highly relatable, but also as the more intelligent and likeable of the two.

With Burr crossed off the list of possible cruel antagonists, someone needs to replace him. The clear choice would seem to be the King of England. After all, this is a play about the American Revolution — how could King George (Euan Morton) be viewed as anything other than unlikeable? Alas, King George earned one of the largest rounds of applause during his performance of “You’ll Be Back,” which plays

Taken from the HamiltonMusical Instagram

on the conventions of a modern love song while being anything but.

With the lyrics, “You’ll be back/ soon you’ll see/ you’ll remember you belong to me/ you’ll be back/ time will tell/ you’ll remember that I served you well/ oceans rise/ empires fall/ we have seen each other through it all,” “You’ll be Back” is fun, bouncy and excellently staged with the king appearing on stage in full royal regalia, which stands starkly against the rest of “Hamilton’s” very, very, very basic costuming. Then, to add some humor which made each of the king’s future entrances into the narrative highly anticipated, the king concludes the verse with: “and when push comes to shove/ I will send a fully armed battalion to remind you of my love” before concluding the verse with what can only be described as a verbal can-can.

In comparison to the intricacy of “Hamilton’s” narrative, the set was fairly simple. The designers used a base set which, along with a rotating circular floor panel, remained unchanged throughout the play, yet was still used to represent everything from the interior of a building to a city street and ship. To mark differences in location, the cast would carry basic props, like a table and chairs, with them onto the set or they would use their acting to give the illusion of a changed location. One of my favorite cases of this was when Hamilton was emigrating from the Caribbean across the sea to the colonies. The ensemble appeared and began to mime raising a sail, “swabbing the deck,” all while rocking back and forth as if they were really on the sea. Yet, the set did have a series of hidden features. During a few scenes, a section of the base set could be raised or dropped to mime a ship plank being lowered or to allude that the character had moved to a new location. During other scenes, lights may be lowered from the ceiling to transform the set from a bar or battlefield into a grand ballroom, or the lights over the set could be shut off completely and replaced with more colorful lights reflected on the walls and floors to convey where the next scene was occurring.

“Hamilton” was everything I expected and more. The music was fantastic, the story line captivating, the acting phenomenal, and the staging of the performance was an experience unto itself that I couldn’t write an article about because it would have taken up the entire Vine section of the paper. I was prepared to wait years before seeing “Hamilton,” but I am so glad I had this opportunity because this was a performance that I will not soon forget or stop reeling from.

THE MIRROR | Week of November 29, 2017

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The Story Behind the Dickens 'Carol'

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CreativeCommons/PublicDomain

By Catherine Veschi Managing Editor

If you’re one of those people who starts listening to Christmas music as soon as the last of the Thanksgiving leftovers are consumed and have already begun drinking hot chocolate and watching Christmas movies, then you’re in luck this holiday season. The Christmas movie of the season arrived in the midst of Thanksgiving celebration, premiering Wednesday, Nov. 22, plunging Christmas fanatics (like myself ) into the holiday spirit right off-the-bat.

“The Man Who Invented Christmas” tells the backstory behind one of the most famous Christmas tales of all time — “A Christmas Carol,” written by Charles Dickens, walking the audience through the arduous process Dickens (Dan Stevens) went through to produce this well-known story while also coping with complications in his own life.

Directed by Bharat Nalluri (“Spooks: The Greater Good”) the film begins in 19th century London, where Dickens and his wife Kate Dickens (Morfydd Clark) are raising their 10 children. The family appears to be living lavishly, as any well-known author would, amid looming financial difficulties Dickens discusses at the beginning of the movie with his business partner, John Forster (Justin Edwards), after failing to publish a highly acclaimed novel in years. Struggling to find an idea for a new story for some time, Dickens finds inspiration in a story his children’s new nanny, Tara (Anna Murphy) tells of spirits that visit overnight, and sets to work on one of his most well-received tales.

Dickens does encounter several difficulties along the way, most prominently that his novel must be published by Christmas, and it’s already mid-October when he begins. However, the author finds inspiration for the characters in his tale among many of his family members and friends, which helps the story quite literally come to life for Dickens and the audience. Perhaps the most obvious and prevalent connection between the characters in “A Christmas Carol” and

Dickens’ own life is between himself and Ebenezer Scrooge (Christopher Plummer). Dickens’ obsession with money and finances is evident from the start, as the majority of his conversations have to do with ways to earn and save money, even snapping at his wife at one point for wasting perfectly good candlesticks, closely mirroring Scrooge’s own fixation on money and his greedy nature. In this way, “A Christmas Carol” becomes not only a journey through the three ghosts — of Christmas past, present and future — with Scrooge, but Dickens’ own journey to discover the true meaning of Christmas and life itself.

It’s not difficult to find the inspirations behind other popular characters in “A Christmas Carol.” Tiny Tim, the character garnering the most sympathy for his deathly illness that the impoverished family struggles to finance, clearly resembles Dickens’ own nephew, who also suffers a terrible illness, as he has a crutch nearly identical to Tiny Tim’s, and is hoisted onto his father’s shoulder just as Scrooge’s clerk, Bob Cratchit, famously carried Tiny Tim in the story.

The connection drawn between Dickens’ father, John

Dickens (Jonathan Pryce), and Jacob Marley, Scrooge’s dead business partner who comes to him in a dream to warn him of the dangers of leading a greedy and self-serving life, is indicative of the struggles Dickens endured his entire life with his father. The film highlights the money issues John Dickens has been plagued by his whole life, as he constantly spends too much money on unnecessary purchases (like a raven that knocks down Dickens’ chandelier). Later on, Dickens takes us inside his childhood tension with his father while experiencing the ghost of Christmas past, as his father’s debt had him arrested and forced Charles into becoming a factory boy, a traumatic experience that he was embarrassed by, serving as the author’s inner demon. Marley’s goal of convincing Scrooge to refrain from living his life in such a greedy manner can be compared to the way in which Charles learned from his father’s failures and money issues.

Not only does “The Man Who Invented Christmas” take audiences inside the inspirations Dickens injected into his story, but it shows just how crucial character development is in all of Dickens’ stories, as Dickens’ characters literally come to life in the film, instructing the author how his novel ought to proceed. Dickens watches as Scrooge and other characters yell at him for attempting to kill off Tiny Tim at the end, and try and convince him that even a miserly character like Scrooge can transform overnight and realize the true meaning of Christmas before it’s too late. In this way, the movie takes audiences inside a writer who clearly immersed himself in the lives of his characters, letting them dictate their own fates instead of the other way around.

The glimpse inside Dickens’ life that “The Man Who Invented Christmas” gives viewers shows not only the unique writing process of a famed author, but the journey this author went through along with his characters to realize the true meaning of Christmas and discover what truly matters in life — not money, but loving bonds with family and friends.

'Handsome Devil' Advocates Self-Love

By Connor O'Rourke Assistant News Editor

The Consulate General of New York hosted a film screening on Nov. 21, of director John Butler’s latest work, “Handsome Devil.” Butler is known for films such as “The Stag” and “Spaceman Three,” but this film is a piece about the realities of being gay in Irish society and the persisting stigma around homosexuality in schools not just in Ireland, but around the world.

The film tells the story of a social outcast, Ned (Fionn O’Shea) who struggles with his distinct gay identity in an intensely conservative Irish boarding school outside Dublin. Throughout the film, Ned is constantly ridiculed by his homophobic peers, partly because he does not take an interest in rugby like all of the other boys at the school.

Initially, to his dismay, Ned receives a roommate named Conor (Nicholas Galitzine) who appears to be the polar opposite of him in that he is a star rugby player and is far more outgoing than the reserved introvert Ned is.

Both Ned and Conor form an unlikely friendship as the film progresses and ultimately become confident in who they are and how they identify themselves with the help of their new English teacher, Mr. Sherry (Andrew Scott).

I noticed a direct parallel between this and the plot of “Dead Poets Society” in the sense that Mr. Sherry took on a mentoring role for both Conor and Ned, encouraging the two to take part in a talent show to demonstrate their musical talent. In “Dead Poets Society,” the English teacher, portrayed by Robin Williams, brings his class together by encouraging them to find themselves and stay true to who they are.

This caused Conor, who was highly closeted about his homosexuality throughout the film, to distance himself from Ned and focus solely on playing rugby and stick with the markedly homophobic status quo at the school. This happened because Conor’s traditionalist coach prompted him to focus on rugby to help the school win the championship, especially because of his suspicions regarding Mr. Sherry being gay and corrupting Conor.

Ultimately, in keeping with Butler’s others films, “Handsome Devil” was a distinctly light-hearted comedic film that dealt with very serious social undertones and commentary about contemporary Irish society, which to this day, despite being one of the first western countries to legalize gay marriage, is still confronting to a great extent.

Following the screening itself, I had the privilege to listen to the director take part in a Q&A session regarding his inspiration for making the film, as well as the social commentary that the film aimed to highlight for audiences.

When asked about the context behind the film, Butler stated that, “Growing up in Ireland then, it was very hard to find a role model for the type of person that I wanted to be, and when you’re young and lacking courage just to be yourself, you’re always looking for signals or signs of how to be in the world.”

He added that the film itself is not a period film, meaning that it does not necessarily take place during the time when he grew up, which would have been the 1980s, but rather it speaks to modern

Ireland as well.

Butler also noted his love of the comedy genre in expressing himself cinematically. He pointed out that, “I am a comedy filmmaker through and through; I have this kind of inherent mistrust of drama or the perceived value of drama that it is the best form in which to discuss things that really matter.”

He went further on to say that life is not always completely serious and is supposed to be lighthearted, so to always portray life in this way through film would be misguided because life naturally has its ups and downs.

Although the film straddled a thin line between light-hearted comedy and intense drama, one of the major themes of the film was betrayal in the sense that Conor, after becoming friends with Ned, went on to betray him by sticking with the status quo and subsequently disregard him as if they had never been close.

In response to why he chose to make betrayal one of the key themes of the film, Butler said that, “This is a tough story in that regard; it really hangs Ned out to dry, as well as Conor. I love that because there really isn’t such a thing as heroes and villains, but rather good people doing bad things and bad people doing good things … I think that’s a more accurate reflection of the world as I see it.”

He goes on to say that, “Everybody in this film is misguided, everyone is the handsome devil and are taken back by Ned, who does not seem to define himself in rigid binary terms.” In essence, the film is a story about claiming one’s identity and being able to edge away from the comfort and safety that the status quo presents. One should always remain true to who they are and lead their own lives as opposed to following the pack.

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THE MIRROR | Week of November 29, 2017

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The Art

Sabina Dirienzo/The Mirror

Corner

The Mirror Abroad: An Eye for the City Sabina's Sightseeing

This week's Art Corner Spotlight is Sophia Palmieri '20 "I'm in Nicaragua on study abroad, and I drew this when I had some time and was remembering home."

By Sabina Dirienze Abroad Columnist

Are you brave enough?

This is the leading question for the City of the Dead ghost tours in Edinburgh, Scotland. I don’t know about being brave, but I love ghost tours, so obviously I decided to go.

For those of you who have never been on one, ghost tours are pretty much exactly what they sound like. You go on a walking tour of the city you’re in, except at night, to all the supposedly-haunted places in it.

Even if you’re a skeptic (I am!) they can be super fun; there’s comedy value in someone trying to scare you. It does help if you’re into history like I am, because good ghost tours have historical elements woven into them.

The Edinburgh ghost tour was easily the best one I’ve ever been on. We went to two of Edinburgh’s very haunted places, the Edinburgh Vaults and Greyfriars Cemetery. Our guide was ardently committed to spooking tour attendees as necessary and swooped around in a big black trench coat for the duration of the evening.

The Edinburgh Vaults are the former vaults underneath South Bridge in Edinburgh, which were a sort of red light district in the city in the late 1700s.

The walls literally oozed with limestone decay. There was an atmospheric, fake skeleton under a staircase.

Everything echoed. I had no ghostly encounters, but did nearly jump out of my own skin when the tour guide whispered to me from behind a door. Learning the history of the vaults, it was easy to see why people would consider them haunted; they were overcrowded, rife with disease and once burned down by the city council with people living inside.

According to the Daily Beast, Greyfriars is the most haunted graveyard in the world. Again, no ghost encounters, but we got to go into a crypt — which reaches up to 30 stories beneath the ground, like a parking garage. Greyfriars is an incredibly overcrowded cemetery and so full of the opportunity for ghost stories — just like the Edinburgh Vaults. Really, this ghost tour reflected a simple principle; sometimes things are spooky mostly because they are very old.

Edinburgh is very old and so it has a lot of supposed ghosts.

Ultimately, I am not coming to you like Mulder in an episode of the X Files with The Truth, but instead saying this: ghost tours are really fun and very worth it, even if you don’t believe in them. In the dark, standing and listening to the stories, you might start to believe a little — at least until the next morning.

Do you want your art to be featured in the Art Corner? Please e-mail your drawing, photograph, or comic along with a quote about your piece to alicia. phaneuf@student.fairfield.edu.

Sabrina's Style: What to Wear to an Internship

By Sabrina Musto Fashion Columnist

keep your button down tucked in; similarly to men, keeping a button down untucked may come across as sloppy. Dresses are another option for women. Statement dresses involve bright colors and showcase your style, and give off a very positive and girly feel. However, a classic, tasteful “little black dress” with tights can also be a good choice, especially in a formal environment. Finally, skirts are another popular option because they too can be paired with a multitude of tops. Women can pair skirts with cardigans, button downs, blazers or really anything else that they would consider wearing to an interview. With dresses and skirts, it is very important that the length and style is appropriate. They should skim the knee, and opting for a pair of appropriate tights is a good way to tie the look together. Finally, shoe options for women include peep-toe heels with a moderate heel height for a more formal look, or if you're looking for a more casual shoe, add a pair of ballet flats or loafers instead of heels. For men’s footwear, I would go with a pair of polished dress shoes.

Hopefully these tips are helpful in deciding what to wear on an interview and just remember that any style you choose should be something you are comfortable wearing, but should also be something crisp and appropriate that will make companies want to hire you.

As Fairfield students get ready for the Spring semester, they might be looking at potential internships or jobs for the upcoming months. Deciding what to wear to an interview is a challenge faced by both men and women because first impressions are very important and communicating the wrong look could cost you a position.

For men, a simple white button down and tie goes a long way. It looks dressy, professional and polished without being stuffy — but make sure that the shirt is crisp and presentable; if you arrive with a half-way tucked button down and a tie that is incorrectly put on, you just look sloppy. Another good option is a sweater over a button down shirt with dress slacks. I always find that men wearing this kind of outfit seem well put together and look nice, while also having good style. A sweater over a button down is a good combination between business casual and business formal, which can be good for an interview if you do not know how dressy to style yourself. There will be times, however, where men are interviewing for very professional companies and in these cases, it will be beneficial to wear a suit. There are still ways that you can add your own touch to a suit, like the kind of tie you wear. Fun ties might even be an interesting conversation starter. The good thing about men’s fashion is that it is fairly straightforward, so no matter where you are interviewing you will likely see another man dressed similarly to you, but remember that there are ways for men to make interview attire their own and showcase their own tastes.

As for women, there are many options for what to wear on an interview. One option is a sweater and dress pants. A good pair of dress pants are definitely a worthy investment because they can be dressed down as business casual by pairing them with a sweater, or can be more business formal if paired with a button down or blazer. Black dress pants are definitely an asset to have and are a good choice for any interview. As for button downs, it is hard for women to find a good one that is both tasteful and modest, but it is very important to find that combination. Remember that the neckline should be appropriate covering your bra and not showing cleavage. It's also a good idea to Taken from the H&M Instagram

Taken from the Men's Warehouse Instagram

THE MIRROR | Week of November 29, 2017

The Vine

Page 11

'Mindhunter' Comes to Netflix

By Danielle Agate Contributing Writer

CreativeCommons/WikimediaCommons

Cara's Cuisine: Turkey Leftovers

By Cara Lee Assistant Vine Editor

If your family is anything like mine, you either ordered a few too many pounds of turkey or your local butcher decided to “oh-so-generously” raise your turkey order by six pounds .. for the third year in a row. Either way, your family just sent you back to Fairfield with one giant container of turkey – at a minimum — which was delicious day one, but is now just growing colder, dryer and more and more repetitive.

This is a common post-Thanksgiving problem. No one wants to throw out food, but there are only so many turkey sandwiches, casseroles and salads you can eat before you either explode or turn into a turkey to join the ranks of the gobblers who chase little first-years to class. Please, we do not need any more turkeys on campus.

As an alternative to your 10th turkey sandwich of the week, stock up your kitchen and make some Tex-Mex soup. Not only does it use that leftover turkey, while completely transforming the taste by mixing it with delectable cheese and spicy salsa — it also easily feeds a crowd and is perfect for this chilly weather.

Tex-Mex Turkey Leftover Soup Ingredients: 1 tbs. Olive Oil 1 small minced 3 cloves minced garlic 2 tsps chili powder ½ tsp. cumin ½ tsp oregano 1 cup water 3 cups chicken broth 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 cup salsa 4 cups shredded cooked turkey 1 tbsp. dried parsley 1 can black rinsed and drained black beans 2 cups corn kernels ½ cup sour cream ¼ cup chopped, fresh cilantro 1 cup cheddar cheese

One of the newest additions to the pantheon of Netflix-made television shows is “Mindhunter.”

Released on Oct. 13, appropriately in time for Halloween, the story is centered around the FBI in 1977, when serial killers are becoming the subject of greater study and investigation.

Our main character is Holden Ford (Jonathan Groff ), a young and ambitious federal agent. He’s extremely intelligent, clean cut and he also sets the plot in motion through his emotional sensitivity alone.

It’s his desire to understand the minds and actions of psychopaths, rather than labeling them as simply evil and soulless, that prompts him to begin research in the psyche of these individuals. To the ire of his superiors, and aided only by his girlfriend, Debbie Mitford (Hannah Gross) and a grizzled fellow agent named Bill Tench (Holt McCallany), Holden regularly interviews convicted serial killers in the hopes of understanding them and preventing other crimes.

The story is based, in part, on the careers of John Douglas and Robert Ressler, two FBI agents who pioneered the psychological study of serial killers and other felons. All of the serial killers portrayed are based off of real-life counterparts, with their dialogue taken from interviews. The show is truly excellent in many ways. The tone is extremely dark, yet also manages to maintain an almost sterile air.

In this way, it gets at the aura of the FBI quite well.

The performances by the cast are noteworthy as well.

Jonathan Groff works hard to maintain a meticulous and very arrogant portrayal that pays off immensely.

Hannah Gross, who plays Debbie, is my favorite role.

She’s sassy and sharp, without being fake or contrived. However, the scenes in which Holden and Debbie are together leave something to be desired, as they do not interact in a natural way. Groff seems physically uncomfortable with his co-star in many of their more intimate scenes. Due to this, their relationship feels superficial.

What is truly fascinating is the setting itself.

Period pieces, or shows set in a period not our own,

have become extremely commonplace, with shows such as “Mad Men,” “Downton Abbey” and “Boardwalk Empire” airing in recent years. They may get very caught up in the theatrics that re-entering from a different time entail, but “Mindhunter” is never too heavy handed with its retro background. What’s important about the time period is not the clothing or the technology, it’s the state that the FBI is in. Taking place just after David Berkowitz’s serial killings of six people, known as the “Son of Sam” murders, in New York City, when agents were feeling more and more hopeless in the face of seemingly overwhelming odds, these men and women exist in a primitive society where killing a captor but saving the victims is considered a win. Due to the abundance of serial killings and other violent crimes that are coming to light, the system needs an overhaul. This is the situation the show thrusts us into.

David Fincher and Joe Penhall were the two major creative forces behind the spectacular series.

Penhall is a British award-winning playwright who initially came up with the concept. While staying in Britain, Fincher was put in charge of the writing department, which gave him major license over the direction of the plot. Fincher, who also directed “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and “The Social Network,” is no stranger to stark, thought-provoking dramas. In this particular series, he is trying to convey fascination mixed with fear. This is made evident by his interview with Esquire magazine, “...to be a serial killer, you have to kill at least three people— which means you have to not get caught with the first two. For that to happen, you have to be fairly thoughtful in premeditation.... That’s the thing that I find terrifying about them.”

Mindhunter, with a 95 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes, lives up to all of the expectations set for it.

It is brilliant, dynamic and absolutely horrifying. And in our society, where mass shootings have become a continuous fact of life, perhaps it’s important to strip everything down to its basics and remember that preventing future situations is as important as stopping ones in progress.

1.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan before adding the onions. Cook until softened, about four minutes.

2.

Mix in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Cook for one minute, stirring slowly.

3.

Stir in water, chicken broth, tomato soup, diced tomatoes, salsa, shredded turkey and parsley. Bring the saucepan to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer.

4. After five minutes, add black beans, corn, sour cream and cilantro. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

5. Serve with shredded cheese, which will melt into a cheesy mass of gooeyness immediately after being placed on the hot soup.

Make enough for new leftovers, invite your friends, get rid of that turkey and enjoy!

Inkwell Spotlight

I Knew the Man Who Stabbed Me

CreativeCommons/PXHere

By: Marina Lindland Co-Editor-in-Chief at The Inkwell

I knew the man who stabbed me I’ve only met him a few times He’d come in to give my boss, his wife, lunch Or the keys to the car That she drove to work His daughter and son worked there too I don’t even know his name Just his face and structure A looming tower of muscle and bone With a coy smile that appeared Only when his wife plants a kiss On his bristling cheek I don’t know why he did it Or why I chose him in my mind When I woke up Still in my bed My chest was aching Where the blade broke the skin Yet seamless and untouched

Coffee Break

THE MIRROR | Week of November 29, 2017

Page 12

Coffee Break Editor: Claire Monahan

Read the Coffee Grounds

Sagittarius

Capricorn

Over Thanksgiving break, the Coffee Break team became certified astrologists and were even ordained by the cosmos themselves. All of these messages came in the form of premonitory dreams and very misguided star mapping, so they required some interpretation. Do with it what you will.

Aquarius

Pisces

(December 22 - January 19)

(January 20 - February 18)

(February 19 - March 20)

Oh poor little Capricorn, you’ll be presented with a real dilemma this week. Like will you be the football to your friend’s quarterback level dilemma (real Coffee Break fans will remember)? Pluto is in your vacation house of choice — try to take a breath or make a list. Just remember, only you know the right answer.

Remember to brush your teeth.

Get ready for a spicy week full of new love.

Jupiter’s ninth cousin is in your house of romance, ooh la la la.

A certain someone has been in your life for a while, but you will see them in a new light.

(November 22 - December 21)

Good news, Mars is in your sun house and you know what that means, you’re going to be unstoppable this week. No obstacle stands a chance against your strength. You’ll really feel the power this week, use it wisely or perhaps unwisely ...

Aries

Taurus

Gemini

Cancer

(March 21 - April 19)

(April 20 - May 20)

(May 21 - June 20)

(June 21 - July 22)

This will be a stressful week for you. Deadlines are piling up and things could soon become overwhelming.

It’s crucial that you break out your agenda, even if it’s for the first time all semester. Tread carefully; your sanity is at stake.

Be careful this week; Saturn’s third moon is in your house of betrayal. A social rival might finally one-up in your squad group chat. Or maybe a friend from home will reveal a past backstabbing.

Either way, it’s important to keep a level head and not rush into any decision that can’t undone.

You’re in store for a surprise this week.

Good or bad, the stars did not reveal.

What is certain is that something unexpected will find its way to the center stage of your life, Gemini. .

This will be an easy week for you. You’ll have smooth sailing into the hurricane that is finals. Relax, put your feet up, fit in one more Netflix binge before the storm hits.

Leo

Virgo

Libra

Scorpio

(July 23 - August 22)

(August 23 - September 22)

(September 23 - October 22)

(October 23 - November 21)

This will be a poppin’ week for you, Virgo.

Plenty of parties to attend this week and you’re on everyone’s guest list.

Just remember to prioritize — some people might feel snubbed by your absence.

You’re doing amazing, sweetie. Keep up your hard work — it will all pay off. What you need most this week is encouragement and support. So don’t be afraid to cut out people who are only giving off bad vibes.

Dearest Scorpio, this week will kick you right in the teeth.

Unfortunately, Venus is in your third house of torment. Try not to hemorrhage too badly; sweet Scorpio — we’re all rooting for you.

Leo, Leo, Leo, what are we going to do with you? You’re in a real tough spot this week because just your mercury is in retrograde. Sorry, we just read the stars; we don’t arrange ‘em.

Sports

SPORTS

THE MIRROR | Week of November 29, 2017

This Week in Sports:

Sports Editor: Alfredo Torres » sports@fairfieldmirror.com

In Case You

Page 13

Notable Stag Honorees

Missed It: Friday, November 24th -Jacksonville defeats Men's Basketball, 92-84 Saturday, November 25th -Lehigh defeats Women's Basketball, 56-53 -Men's Basketball defeats Gardner Webb, 75-64 Sunday, November 26th -New Hampshire defeats Women's Basketball, 71-61 -Wright State defeats Men's Basketball, 57-56

Photo Contributed By Sports Information Desk

On Wednesday, Nov. 22, Benjamin Kebbell ‘21 was named MAAC Swimmer of the Week after an outstanding week in the water. In a win over Marist, Kebbell won the 100-yard backstroke meet with a time of 53.23. Soon after, Kebbell won the 100-yard freestyle hitting the wall at 47.98 to take home the victory. To cap off his incredible meet, Kebbell then won the 100-yard butterfly at 52.90. As part of a group effort, Kebbel joined the trio of Philip Zyskowski ‘20, Kevin Brandbergh ‘21 and Jordan Rahurahu ‘20 to win the 400-yard freestyle relay. Kebbell and the Stags return to the water when they partake in the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships starting on Dec.1 on Long Island, N.Y.

Upcoming This Week: Wednesday, November 29th -Women's Basketball vs. UMASS Lowell, 7 p.m.

Friday, December 1st -Men's Basketball at Wagner, 7 p.m.

Photo Contributed By Sports Information Desk

On Monday, Nov. 27, Erin Buckley ‘18 and graduate student Hannah Pike were named to the All-Mideast Region Second Team as named by the Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association. Pike finished the season with nine goals and six assists to finish her career in the red and white while Buckley headed a stout defense that yielded only seven goals in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play.

Both received end-of-year accolades from the conference as Pike was named to the All-MAAC Second Team and Buckley was named to All-MAAC First Team as well as being tabbed the MAAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year. The two were instrumental in the Stags winning the MAAC Tournament and reaching the National Collegiate Athletic Association Tournament for the second time in three seasons.

-Women's Volleyball at Texas, 8 p.m.

Sunday, December 3rd -Women's Basketball at Boston College, 1 p.m.

-Men's & Women's Swimming at ECAC Winter Championships, All Day

In this week's issue...

- NFL Week 12: Contenders & Pretenders (Page 14)

- Volleyball Wins Third Consecutive MAAC Championship (Page15)

- Women's Basketball Fall In Christmas City Classic (Page 15)

- Stags Drop Two Games In Wright State Tournament (Page 16)

Sports

Page 14

THE MIRROR | Week of November 29, 2017

NFL Week 12: Contenders & Pretenders

Contributed By NFL/Instagram Without Ezekiel Elliot (left) the Cowboys are in the midst of a three-game losing streak. Meanwhile, LeGarrette Blount is powering the Eagles backfield. Drew Brees and Jared Goff (right) have been consistent all year long.

By Patrick Getz Contributing Writer The NFL Week 12 action just wrapped up and now is the time that the contenders and pretenders emerge. One dangerous contender is out in the NFC North from Minnesota, playing effectively both on offense and defense. One pretender this season has been the Dallas Cowboys, now at 5-6 on the season and losing in horrific fashion once again this past Thursday.

Another contender this year has been shockingly the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West division. In the AFC West, the Kansas City Chiefs have fallen off and deemed themselves pretenders here in late November. Around Week 12 action is when fans have a good enough idea of the NFL playoff picture.

Playing on Thanksgiving this past Thursday, the Minnesota Vikings showcased why they are a contender in the NFL. Starting quarterback Case Keenum, threw for 282 yards and two touchdowns while only having nine incompletions. Even though Teddy Bridgewater, former Vikings starter before injury, returned to the team recently, the former University of Houston quarterback feels this is his team. Defensively, the Vikings forced an interception and only Matthew Stafford was not as efficient as Keenum was, having 15 incompletions compared to Keenum’s nine. For a key

divisional matchup in primetime, the Vikings made a statement by winning this game 30-23 and moving to 9-2.

Following the Vikings’ win on Thanksgiving, America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys, faced off against the Los Angeles Chargers.

However, Philip Rivers and company made AT&T Stadium feel like a home game with his 434-yard performance against the Dallas defense. For the third straight week, Dak Prescott did not record a passing touchdown as now he looks like a completely different quarterback without playmaker Ezekiel Elliott. Also for the second straight week, the Dallas defense seemed to hold up in the first half, but then completely fell apart with no offensive support.

This Dallas team looks horrific without their star running back and they won’t have him until mid-December. Once a contender earlier in the season, this suspension from the former Buckeye back turned the Cowboys’ season into pretenders.

In addition to the Vikings, another shocking contender is the Los Angeles Rams, where Jared Goff seems to have taken a huge step forward. With the removal of Jeff Fisher and addition of Sean McVay as head coach, Goff has turned into a dangerous quarterback. On Sunday, he threw for over 350 yards and two touchdowns in doing his part to hand the Saints their first loss in eight weeks. This is an impressive win from Goff and the Rams since the

Weekly 4x5 Because we have witty things to say ...

Allison White Editor-in-Chief

Alfredo Torres Sports Editor

Daniel Montgomery Assistant Sports Editor

Saints had immense momentum especially coming from future Hall of Fame QB Drew Brees. As the season dwindles down, the Rams are staring at a possible division crown if they hold off NFC West foe, the Seattle Seahawks, who are only one game behind in the loss column.

Starting off hot in 2017, the Kansas City Chiefs were the favorites to win their division and go back to the playoffs. However, the Chiefs have lost five of their last six games as starter Alex Smith only threw for 199 passing yards. If Kansas City wants to go to the playoffs again and actually make a run, Alex Smith needs to be let loose. The Chiefs’ defense always plays hard and that was shown against the Bills on Sunday, only giving up 182 yards to starter Tyrod Taylor. The Kansas City Chiefs’ offense is what makes this team a pretender.

With about five weeks left in the season, teams have good indications if they are going to the playoffs. With the Vikings and Rams trending up and the Cowboys and Chiefs trending downwards, it is safe to say the Vikings and Rams will end up in the postseason, while the latter two teams will not. It is always nice to see different teams making postseason bids and different players getting exposed to the playoffs. These next five weeks are crucial for all the playoff-hopeful teams.

Your 2017-2018 4x5 Columnists:

Allison White, Alfredo Torres, Daniel Montgomery and Andrew DaRosa

How was your Thanksgiving Break? (I'm talking about the food!)

Coach David Fitzdale was just fired by the Memphis Grizzlies.

Thought?

December is right around the corner, are you excited that the season to be jolly is here?

Volleyball faces Texas in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, what are your predictions?

Do you think Carson Wentz is the real deal for the Philadelphia Eagles?

I ate leftovers for four days straight. I am now made entirely of stuffing and mashed potatoes.

I should follow the lead of the Grizzlies and fire someone...

I love all the Christmas cheer!! But no snow, please. I was not made for the cold ... yet I willingly will freeze for Santa-Con because I can't wait to wear my best Christmas spirit attire and where there's a darty, there's an Ally.

Stags are going to crush it! Best of luck to these gals, they deserve the win.

I'm too busy preparing for my football debut at Powderpuff this weekend to worry about actual football. Come watch ya girl tear it up.

Food was great, it was great to be home. Missed my family and the pups, it's good to get away from all the school work but now we're back at it again :(

Shocking, it just came out of nowhere. I mean I know they lost eight in a row but c'mon Memphis have some patience with the guy.

Remember what he did last year at the playoffs for his players!

Sad that the semester is coming to and end because so is my time at Fairfield! But Santa-Con though!

We've played them before and now its our time to leave Texas with the win. These girls know nothing but to win and they're bringing that same mentality to Texas.

I mean Philly is looking nasty at 9-1 right now. Coming into the league, I knew Wentz was going to be good but I didn't know he was going to be that good. Good for him and good for Philly. Trust The Process!

Unreal, I really should have entered a pumpkin pie eating contest.

One of my all time favorites in Z-Bo is gone which started to turn things for the worse for the Griz.

Tough luck Davey.

Dumb scared for my visa appointment on December 6 in the city as it approaches. But otherwise absolutley Santa-Con should be a blast.

One of the all-time great upsets occurs in Austin. Down goes the Longhorns!!

Oh how i wish he was the one tossing the pigskin for Big Blue.

Here's to hoping the Giants get Josh Rosen.

Pretty alright, spend the time

I don't watch basketball enough to gauge this decision but I'm assuming this is a shock(????)

Couldn't be more excited for the Texas is going all the way down holiday season. Missing my family as Stags Volleyball will dominate down south so I'm excited to see the NCAA. them all. Really missing my puppy a lot too.

Andrew DaRosa with family and friends but also Executive Editor

got some killer Black Friday deals.

I've believed in Carson Wentz since he strapped on the Eagles helmet, which is shocking coming from a Pats fan. Im calling 34-27 Pats versus Eagles in the Super Bowl with yours truly's fav team reigning supreme. #6rings

Sports

Page 15

THE MIRROR | Week of November 29, 2017

Volleyball Wins Third Consecutive MAAC Championship

Alfredo Torres/The Mirror For the third consecutive season, the volleyball team captured the MAAC Championship. In front of the the home crowd, the Stags swept the Iona Gaels 3-0 in dominating fashion. They now take on Texas in the NCAAs.

By Christopher LaZazzera Contributing Writer Division I women’s volleyball is at a point in collegiate sports history where it couldn’t be more competitive. So for the Fairfield University Women’s Volleyball team to capture their third consecutive Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championship, you could say it’s quite the accomplishment.

Fairfield’s 10th crown came by way of sweeping visiting conference foe the Iona Gaels 25-14, 2519 and 25-11 on George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall on Sunday, Nov. 19.

All day long, Fairfield was locked in offensively. Senior Skylar Day recorded 14 kills alone while Megan Theiller ’18, Mayda Garcia ’19, Luci Albertson ’21, Kaylie Butts ’21 and Manuela Nicolini ’19 each contributed to the Stags’ total of 40 kills in the match.

Fairfield was stingy on the defensive end as well. Theiller led all players with 13 digs and her counterpart Tayler Rudeen ’19 picked up 11, respectively. Meanwhile, Day and Sonja Radulovic ’20 chipped in on the opposite end with nine digs apiece.

Along with the victory, several Stags brought home some impressive hardware. Day was named

MVP of the 2017 MAAC Championship after already earning her second consecutive MAAC Player of the Year honor at the conclusion of the regular season. Day, Nicolini and Albertson were all named to the All-Championship Team in recognition of their outstanding performance throughout the MAAC Tournament.

With the win, Fairfield became only the fifth team to win three-straight MAAC Championships.

The Stags have to switch their focus onto the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament now, as they will face off against the nationally ranked No. 2 Texas Longhorns in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The game is set for 8 p.m. this coming Friday, Dec. 1 at Gregory Gymnasium at the University of Texas.

Three Stags who hail from Texas, Sydney Williams ’19, Garcia and Albertson all should expect to have some family and friends in the crowd cheering them on. Fairfield will look for revenge as the 2015 team made the trip to Texas, but came up empty with a 3-0 loss in the first round.

If the Stags defeat Texas, they will face the winner between Oregon State and North Carolina State on Saturday, Dec. 2. Fairfield looks to make a splash this weekend in the NCAA Tournament with the hopes of making a deep playoff run.

Women's Basketball Fall In Christmas City Classic

By Daniel Montgomery Assistant Sports Editor

Contributed By Sports Information Desk Junior Khadidiatou Diouf had a career day this past weekend when the forward posted 19 points on Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, Diouf's big game was not enough to push the Stags past New Hampshire as the red and white fell 71-61 to the Wildcats.

This past weekend, the Stags traveled to Bethlehem, Penn. to take on preseason America East-favorite New Hampshire in a battle of two of the northeast’s most quality mid-major clubs on the campus of Lehigh University. Although the red and white fought for the entirety of the game’s 40 minutes, the Wildcats proved to be too much for the Stags down the stretch and left the 2017 Christmas City Classic with a 71-61 win.

After scoring the first basket of the game, the Fairfield Stags would never take hold of the lead for the rest of the afternoon.

With the exception of the fourth quarter, New Hampshire won each frame as they dominated the Stags with their efficient shooting from the field, which ended the game at 43.4 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from beyond the arc.

The closest the Stags would draw to was 11 points in the fourth quarter when they began the final eight minutes of the game on a 13-5 run and cut the deficit to 62-51. But, the Wildcats would keep Fairfield at bay for the rest of their contest with their stingy defense, holding the Stags to 44.6 percent shooting from the field and 20 percent from three for the game.

A three-pointer in the game’s waning seconds would bring the game’s final score to 71-61 and finish an admirable Stag fight to climb back into the game. With that said, the loss was accompanied by numerous Fairfield hallmarks. Senior Samantha Cooper led the Stags in rebounding for the game, the 59th time she has done so in her career at Fairfield.

Junior Khadidiatou Diouf had a career night for Fairfield, leading the team with 19 points. Junior Kendra Landy chipped in ten points on the day, while Cooper added nine points to go along with her stellar performance on the boards.

Fairfield is back in action on Wednesday, Nov. 29 when they welcome UMass Lowell to Alumni Hall for a highly contested nonconference matchup, which is set to tip off at 7 p.m. Sitting at 1-5 currently, the red and white are desperate for a win.

@MirrorSports Fairfield Mirror Sports Week of November 29, 2017

fairfieldmirror.com

SPORTS 16 Sports Editor: Alfredo Torres » sports@fairfieldmirror.com

Stags Drop Two Games In Wright State Tournament

Contributed By Sports Information Desk First-year Jesus Cruz has provided a spark for the Stags early on this season. The athletic swignman has been a leading force behind Fairfield's much improved defense thus far in 2017 and looks to add to his offensive game.

By Alfredo Torres Sports Editor This past weekend, the Fairfield University Men’s basketball team competed in the Wright State Tournament in Dayton, Ohio. The Stags finished the weekend with a record of 1-2 after facing Athletic Sun Conference’s Jacksonville University, Big South Conference foe Gardner-Webb and the Horizon League’s Wright State. Although the Stags dropped two games in Dayton, there were plenty of bright spots for the Stags as many of its young players showed lots of potential.

The Stags started play on Friday, Nov. 24 when they faced off against the Jacksonville Dolphins in the first game of the Wright State Tournament. Fairfield’s slow start put them in an hole early in the game as they got themselves in a position that required them to battle back to the whole game.

Jacksonville started the contest on a strong note by scoring 13 of the game’s first 15 points, giving them an early 13-2 advantage just five minutes into the start of play. Fairfield’s struggles would put them in a 21-point deficit as Jacksonville finished the first half leading 58-37. Although Fairfield faced a huge deficit heading into the second half, the Stags looked to battle back to cut the lead.

After slow starts to the second half for both teams, the Stags started to find their groove on offense halfway through the the latter half of play. Fairfield went on a 10-5 run to cut the deficit down to 16, with just enough time remaining in the game for a Stags’ comeback. The Stags continued to connect on offense going on a separate 15-5 run to narrow the lead to just four points as Jacksonville’s lead was cut to 86-82 with less than two minutes remaining in the game. Unfortunately for the Stags, their comeback efforts were cut short as the Dolphins were able to connect on a couple of free throw

Contributed By Sports Information Desk Junior Matija Milin has used his veteran experience to help guide a Fairfield team that has a bevy of youngsters playing meaninfgul minutes for the red and white to this point of the season.

opportunities to increase their lead as time continued to run out. Jacksonville would close out the game to pick up the 92-84 victory over Fairfield, giving the Stags their first loss of the weekend.

Senior Tyler Nelson lead the way for the Stags scoring a team-high 28 points, four from threepoint land while rookie Ferron Flavors Jr. ‘20 scored 20 points, five coming from beyond the arc.

Junior Jonathan Kasibabu also reached double digits in scoring as he added 13 points for Fairfield.

Fairfield bounced back to even their record at 1-1 in the Wright State Tournament after defeating the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs by a score of 75-64 on Saturday, Nov. 25 behind Nelson’s 26 points, his second consecutive game scoring 25 points or more in a game. The Stags’ key to this victory was conservative defense and great passing from all of their players. Fairfield finished the game with a total of 19 assists which led to 26 baskets. Fairfield’s defense was on full display as they forced Gardner-Webb to commit 19 turnovers and nine steals to help the Stags score 20 points off turnovers.

Much like the previous game, the Stags got off to a slow start as the opposing Runnin’ Bulldogs came out the gates scoring, putting Fairfield at an early deficit. Despite facing an early deficit, the Stags were able to battle back to cut the lead and eventually take the lead. First-year Jesus Cruz capped a 10-4 run after connecting on a three-point play opportunity with less than 14 minutes remaining in the game to give the Stags their first lead of the game at 15-14.

First-year Kevin Senghore-Peterson converted a layup to give the Stags the slim three-point lead and from there, Fairfield would never relinquish the lead. Fairfield would close out the first half on a 15-4 run to give them a 44-29 lead heading into the halftime.

Although never relinquishing the lead, Gardner-Webb had a couple of moments in the second half that saw them cut the lead to single digits. With less than seven minutes remaining in the game, the Runnin’ Bulldogs pulled within one point after cutting the lead down to 58-57. Nelson would answer Gardner-Webb’s run by scoring five consecutive points to give the Stags a six point cushion.

Gardner-Webb would not go down easily, with four minutes remaining in the game, the Runnin’ Bulldogs were able to make yet another run to cut Fairfield’s lead down to just four at 65-61. But Fairfield answered right back, closing the game out on a 10-3 run to give them the 75-64 victory.

With the win, Fairfield earned its first road victory of the early season while evening their record in the Wright State Tournament to 1-1.

In their final game of the weekend tournament, the Stags were set to face host Wright State University on Sunday, Nov. 26. But like the other two previous games, the Stags found themselves trying to battle back into the game after Wright State built a huge lead. Although the Stags were only trailing by seven at the halftime, Wright State’s offense made a run to increase their lead to 15 in the second half of play with less than 10 minutes remaining.

The Stags are no strangers to comebacks as they had been battling back all weekend long and this contest seemed to be a repetition of the previous two games. After a pair of free throws off the hands of Kasibabu followed by five consecutive points by Cruz, the deficit was cut to single digits as Wright State now lead by only six at 53-47.

Both teams would exchange blows, but with Wright State holding a slim four-point lead, Flavors Jr. would connect on a deep three-point shot to cut the lead down to just one at 57-56 with less than seven seconds left in regulation. After Wright State failed to inbound the ball, the host school was whistled for a five-second call, giving the Stags the final shot with an opportunity to win the game with 6.5 seconds left. After receiving the inbounds pass from Matija Milin ‘19, Cruz was able to fight off a double to find a wide open Flavors Jr. who shot the ball from three. Unfortunately for the Stags, the ball bounced around the rim a couple of times before falling out as the buzzer expired to give host Wright State University the slim 57-56 victory.

The loss drops Fairfield’s record in the tournament at 1-2, but the Stags look to bounce back when they travel to Staten Island, N.Y. to take on Wagner University on Friday, Dec. 1 for a 7 p.m tipoff.